


Of Petals, Strings and Sunshine

by MrFiretank



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort, Everybody Lives, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29683887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrFiretank/pseuds/MrFiretank
Summary: After a tension-filled evening with a violin shattered but realizations not too far gone, events unfurl differently as a set of siblings avoid getting separated from their grim fate. The innocence of youth remains free of blood, with blooming orchids and lilies taking their place; yet despite pain and hardships, bonds forged under Faraway's sun will be stronger than any branch.
Relationships: Hero/Mari (OMORI)
Kudos: 40





	Of Petals, Strings and Sunshine

The first time Basil has felt truly taken aback ever since the night before the recital had been when Aubrey asked him to learn for school together. He really wasn't sure how to react, since the air around their happy group had taken quite a damper since then. Of course, visiting them that same night left him shocked as the precious violin Sunny played was left shattered, his best friend crying out his heart and Mari holding them in a mix of shock and (what would later turn out to be) guilt.

He didn't feel quite the same afterwards, but Basil wouldn't let that get to him. Sunny has struggled a lot more after all and still made efforts to spend time with everyone! It...would've been cruel from him.

Neither did everyone else. So he agreed, albeit hesitantly and for just a moment did that sinkable pit of grief disappear from his life. Why couldn't he just man up? Why couldn't his best friend relax and smile again after so long, if not for his lack of help? Those days were horrible to his mind… and Basil had to debate if letting that pit of grief devourer him was acceptable.

And yet there he was, managing to chuckle and weakly smile at the memories he and the group made as Aubrey found the photo album secured in his house. No new photos were added since then, but his urge to just take out the dusty binder from its place and dive into memories was tempting…

He wished for Sunny to get well the night after, throwing in more thoughts than usual.

"Hey...uhm, say...would you mind if I stay over tonight?"

The second time Basil was in such a state, unsure how to respond and react was when years later, Aubrey had knocked on their home's door with his caretaker out for shopping. She had definitely changed by then, meeting with the town's local rowdies almost daily and getting into all sorts of trouble.

...And yet she found time to visit the blonde every other day, a fact that unconsciously made Basil feel even more guilty.

Guilty, yet glad.

One look at her attire, one whiff in the air of stinging alcohol, the small bruises where her knees were exposed and the spiked bat hanging loosely in her hand. Something has definitely happened, pushing the emotional turmoil aside for worry to fester instead. "S-Sure! But, aren’t you hurt? W-What happened!?"

"Relax! Nothing I can't handle, just some dumb tussle at the park," his friend exclaimed, nonchalantly waving her hand but not stepping inside until the boy practically pulled at her arm in care, already mumbling on how he'd need a first aid kit and disinfectant. He didn't take note of her eyes that day, how they shifted and seemed to hang with her confident tone playing over any concerns.

He wouldn't notice Aubrey being grateful for this fact, how she didn't need to recite what her mind was burning into her already. Kim would've been worried enough to not eat any candy for the night and Angel might've ran after her in a poor attempt to settle matters.

Either him or the Maverick, though she still debated that.

But Basil...well, that had been a different story. Admittedly she didn't feel any sort of romantic feelings (and she would rather bash someone's head in before speaking about such). Though, speaking with him so often definitely improved their bond in some ways. The same applied for Miss Polly, who didn't even bat an eye at her unannounced presence and invited her to a dinner with homemade pizza without prying further. 

The only thought she had left as she was allowed to stay over, resting with blankets and pillows on the couch was if Sunny and Mari had a similar dynamic going.

…

The third time Basil was unable to respond had come roughly a month after the pink-haired girl had visited him a dozen times, even staying over a few nights when new bruises hung on her or any stomach rumbling ensued from Miss Polly's homecooking. His caretaker seemed to take this matter calmer than initially expected, but he knew better.

The clicking of her tongue in well-covered silence.

Her gentle looks of understanding whenever Aubrey knocked on the door.

That insistence to take another blanket or pillow when she took the couch or to wash her jacket from any grime, even if through all this she was only there to technically care for his grandma.

He was truly glad to have such a woman take care of them.

But he hadn't been fortunate in his dreams.

The darkness that covered every inch, the rose thorns leaving his skin aching, the way his plants' vines and stems shifted to encircle him as Sunny's terrified face lost all emotions when the loneliness took form, when it first strangled his voice and then his life-

He had to take a moment, clawing at his neck and forehead even after waking up out of shock and desperately tried not to lose the contents of whatever dinner he could swallow down.

In. Out. In...Out. I-In...In...In- Out! Everything is going to be ok, everything...is going to be...ok.

Breathing felt painful, the empty night interrupted by the heartbeat in his ears.

From the corners of his room would those horrendous eyes judge him, those veins formed out of the void shift towards him, an ominous aura beginning to force out his tears-

"Hey! Basil! BASIL!"

Yet they paused, for someone else took his attention.

The hand that planted itself on his shoulder had been firm, but not tight enough to hurt him. He didn't even realize how his blankets flew off the mattress, thrown in his panic-induced turmoil. Nor did he notice Aubrey's eyes gazing at him through the void of midnight. She said nothing after the screaming paused, instead rhythmically squeezing his shoulder. Basil took it as guidance, forcing himself to only breathe in and out whenever her fingers enclosed over that thin piece that was his arm.

Yes, pain helped through all this. Something that had been there ever since Sunny broke down in guilt.

Basil felt a wave of anxiety threaten to roll over again when his panic attack subsided, only not taking note of the fact how their visitor had witnessed everything at once. "A-Aubrey...I-"

"Don't move. I'll...be right back. I promise,” were the words with which she shushed him, seemingly flying out of the room and quickly grabbing her blankets and pillows from the couch. The boy was definitely shocked as she placed them onto his own bed, far away for him to have space and threatening to fall off the edge at any moment. “Come on. If there’s something bothering you at night, then I’ll just swing a bat full of nails in their face.”

The whole night and even the day afterwards were quite an enigma. And despite all these mixed emotions, despite the fear of Aubrey possibly knowing of his mishaps...she didn’t push him on it. And everything past that was pretty much the same...Basil wouldn’t pry into what got her hurt and instead did his best to comfort her - Aubrey would keep a constant check for panic attacks through the night and over time throughout the day too.

Basil would show her ways to relax when no one was around - Aubrey would take him to church where he felt a sense of relief over the sermons without his guilt gnawing.

Basil would help her in school in what she was comfortable with and make everyone gape in surprise - Aubrey would help with his nervousness by introducing the Hooligans to him (after a stern pre-talk to not mess with him, which followed by them practically adopting him in).

A dynamic that none weren’t even sure where it continued after that. Friends? Not quite...

A pair? Definitely not, with Aubrey obviously having someone else in mind. 

Family?

...

Yet those days were truly beginning to look more colorful and happy after hearing of Sunny’s attempts to get active again. The boy has managed to stay healthy despite his non-talkative streak as Mari seemed to coax out her younger brother, step by step, word for word.

Four years had definitely changed a lot, perhaps even for the better-

“Hey Basil! Come on, the others are already waiting at the park for us! Or do you want to let Sunny act like a sunflower again?”

His reverie was fully snapped in two as he looked up from his couch, a book full of notes and internal monologue (with the occasional snapshot) inside of it. Standing in the doorway had been Aubrey, a neutral look on her features without any strained or forced expression. Her pink hair waved in well-treated locks from the wind, courtesy of Mari and Miss Polly giving advice. The only thing that had been indifferent over time was the armband attached to her left wrist; a makeshift bangle covered in flowery patterns he gifted her.

Basil feared it would’ve looked too childish or wierd to give.

And Aubrey didn’t even hesitate as she put it on ever since her birthday.

“R-Right!”

In return, he would always wear the short-sleeved jacket he had been gifted by her and their “crew”, a beautiful dandelion pattern over mint-green aesthetics and darker fabric. Perfect for summer and even padded a little on the inside for, quoting Vance: “insurance against authorities”.

Which was a rather wholesome way to say “Please don’t get hurt” without dropping the act.

‘Four years, Sunny. I hope things looked up for you just as much as they did with us.’

To give and be given. To follow and be followed. To forgive...and to be forgiven. No matter what troubling matters were between them, one thing was certain.

It would take the world- ...nay, not even the world would be enough to snap their bonds. It wasn’t that everything was going to be ok.

Basil knew everyone would prevail. And so he did as well.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize if you expected me to instantly jump into any wacky or chaotic adventures you imagined at the premise, or waited for Kel to...just be Kel but we'll get there! Right now I'm just working to flesh out things without denying everyone a good read - even if my writing quality admittedly isn't the best in the world (my condolences). Speaking of our Orange Joe-salesman of the century, next Chapter will be on him and Hero with a 3rd chapter dedicated to Mari and Sunny before we jump into the pure sugar of fluff (and / or what I might come up with). Expect a similar direction, though of course fitting events and all per characters.
> 
> If you have any recommendations or advice for me, feel free to mention them; it's admittedly been a while since I got to writing stories and fighting writer's block can be just as much of a brutal fight than others situations. Stay safe, stay healthy and don't forget to drink, especially those working in office jobs!


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